Photo by Fabrice Boblin, copyright the Cousteau Society
In collaboration with the Cousteau Society and in recognition of the hundredth anniversary of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s birth on June 11, 2010, National Geographic Fellow and marine ecologist Enric Sala has set sail aboard Cousteau’s ship Alcyone with the legendary marine explorer's youngest son, Pierre-Yves Cousteau. The expedition is reexamining undersea Mediterranean destinations visited and documented by Jacques Cousteau more than half a century ago. Learn more about the expedition and explore the ocean with National Geographic.
Today, our silver wetsuits arrived in the mail! Frank le Mellec (a chief diver with the Cousteau Society) and I will be using these from now on. They are kind of a trademark of Cousteau divers since the '70s and look so good on camera! From now on, we’ll be using these on dives above 40 meters with the legendary Mistral regulators. It is deeply moving to don this traditional equipment and explore the seas in it. It is an honor, in much the same way as one gets suited up for a special occasion.
Photo by Fabrice Boblin, copyright the Cousteau Society
Between dives, I took Fabrice and Neil for a scuba diving initiation off the back of the Alcyone. Then Neil, Frank, and I climbed the nearby hills to shoot the Alcyone from above. Tomorrow evening, we will leave Corsica for the Medes Islands, a 24-hour transit after a full day of diving. The powerful feelings of freedom and primitive beauty that emanate from the Scandola Reserve will stay written in our hearts and captured in our cameras.
Learn more about the expedition and the Cousteau Society, become a Cousteau Diver, or explore the ocean with National Geographic. You can also join the Cousteau Society's Facebook group and get updates from Cousteau Divers on Facebook and Twitter.